Dear President Eisgruber,
We believe that the University, as an internationally-renowned liberal arts institution, has an obligation to fight for the interests of its students, faculty, and the larger community. Thus, we, the undersigned, join together in asking you to oppose President Donald Trump's newest executive order barring entry to citizens of six countries and limiting entry of refugees to the United States. President Trump’s executive orders on immigration targeted explicitly or implicitly at Muslim populations are illiberal, discriminatory, and hurtful to the missions of our university community. A federal judge blocked the previous executive order in part due to the unconstitutionality of its religious discrimination.
The travel ban, both in its previous iteration and current form, represents a threat to our ability to operate as an institution of higher education in an internationalized world. We stand alongside Princetonians who remain unable to visit family members overseas or continue to live in fear of deportation.
As was made clear by the first ban, President Trump’s actions are rooted in Islamophobia, rather than any national security interests; no citizen from any of the six countries in the travel ban has contributed to a fatal attack in the United States. Moreover, refugees undergo some of the most rigorous vetting procedures of anyone admitted to this country. Thousands of people who were promised safe haven from persecution found themselves turned away as alleged security threats. While the revised order makes the religious discrimination less legally blatant, we believe it still serves no serious purpose beyond ethnic and religious discrimination.
On Feb. 8, you led 47 other university presidents in sending a letter in response to President Trump’s first executive orders on Muslim immigration. Our University later filed an amicus brief in opposition to the executive orders. We are thankful for your leadership on this important issue and urge you to take similar actions with regards to the new executive order. It is even more important for the University to get involved now, given our position as one of the top-ranked research institutions in the world.
Additionally, as a firm and tangible commitment to refugees, we call on Princeton to provide on-campus housing for a refugee family as a member of the Every Campus A Refuge network. Princeton would declare itself willing to sponsor a refugee family by partnering with a local resettlement agency. Through a community-wide effort, Princeton will give housing and assistance in the resettlement process. In doing so, the University administration would be asserting its leadership both nationally and locally as a supporter of refugee resettlement.
The new travel ban affects our entire University community, and we need to stand in solidarity with our peers and friends. Students who have been admitted may not be able to join our community in the fall, and others may not be able to return for classes or work. The 30 student groups and the over 500 members of the University community who have signed this letter strongly urge you to take a stand for our peers, friends, and family.
Respectfully,
The Princeton Advocates for Justice (PAJ)
Asian American Students Association (AASA)
Princeton Latinos y Amigos (PLA)
Princeton DREAM Team
Princeton Muslim Advocates for Social Justice and Individual Dignity (MASJID)
Princeton College Democrats
Latin American Students Organization (LASO)
Latino Graduate Student Association (LGSA)
Princeton Caribbean Connection (PCC)
Princeton Students for Reproductive Justice (PSRJ)
Princeton Students for Gender Equality (PSGE)
Young Democratic Socialists of Princeton (YDSP)
Sigma Chi Sigma Princeton Chapter
Taiwanese American Students Association (TASA)
Mental Health Initiative
International Students Association at Princeton (ISAP)
Princeton South Asian Theatrics (PSAT)
Women's Mentorship Program (WMP)
Alliance of Jewish Progressives (AJP)
Students for Prison Education and Reform (SPEAR)
Canadian Club
Princeton Citizen Scientists (PCS)
Princeton Clay Project
Princeton Hidden Minority Council (PHMC)
Princeton Progressives (PPro)
Princeton Refugee Project
Princeton University College Republicans
Center for Jewish Life Social Justice Committee
Chinese Students Association (CSA)
Princeton Korean American Student Association (KASA)
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